Secretary-General Concerned by Limited Progress in Arms Trade Treaty Negotiations;

 

Calls on Delegations to Show Flexibility, Work in Good Faith to Bridge Differences

 

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:

The Secretary-General has been following closely the work of the Arms Trade Treaty Conference.  With two days left before the scheduled end of the Conference, he is concerned about the very limited progress in the negotiations.  The Secretary-General appeals to delegations to show flexibility and work in good faith towards bridging their differences.

The Secretary-General is encouraged by the efforts being undertaken by the President of the Conference, who has been working with delegations day and night to try to build consensus on the elements of the arms trade treaty.

The Secretary-General remains hopeful that the Conference will yield a robust and legally binding arms trade treaty that will have a real impact on the lives of those millions of people suffering from the consequences of armed conflict, repression and armed violence.  He wishes to remind delegations that we owe it to all the innocent civilians who have fallen victim to armed conflict and violence, to all the children deprived of a better future and to all those risking their lives to build peace and make this a better world. 

The Secretary-General stands ready to provide whatever assistance is required of him to bring the Conference to a successful outcome.

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For information media • not an official record